Qualcomm has unveiled two new mobile chips that are set to power the next generation of high-end and mid-range Android phones.
The new flagship Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 upgrades the existing 8 Gen 1 processor that was announced less than half a year ago. It promises to extend battery life by nearly a full hour of use while also delivering faster speeds. It'll make its debut in the third quarter of this year.
The company has also launched the mid-range Snapdragon 7 Gen 1, the first mid-range chip to adopt Qualcomm's new naming scheme for its mobile products. It comes with a focus on gaming and AI performance, and will be available very soon.
Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1: Faster, Longer, Cooler
The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 has mostly the same specs as its predecessor, but the clock speed has been bumped up to 3.2GHz and, perhaps crucially, manufacturing has switched from Samsung to TSMC, the company that supplies chips for Apple's iPhones.
Qualcomm says that the new processor will deliver 10% faster speeds with a 30% power reduction, which should amount to nearly 60 minutes of extra gameplay.
The hope is that the 8+ will also run cooler than its predecessor. That has been one of the biggest complaints about the original Gen 1, and often led to phone manufacturers throttling performance to keep heat and power consumption in check.
The 8+ will be available in the fall, in devices from the likes of OnePlus, Motorola, and Honor. You can expect to see it become a fixture on the spec sheets of flagship phones for a while yet, with rumors that it will power Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Flip 4 devices.
Snapdragon 7 Gen 1: Gaming, AI, and More
While the 8+ will be seen in premium devices, the increasingly competitive upper-mid-range sector will benefit from the arrival of the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1.
The main areas of focus for this chip are gaming, where graphics performance is 20% better than the previous generation's Snapdragon 778, and AI, where performance is up by 30%. Photography also gets a major boost, as the chip can support sensors up to 200MP or shoot with three cameras at the same time. There are also enhancements in security and connectivity.
The 7 Gen 1 will be available from this quarter and will be seen first in phones from brands like Oppo, Honor, and Xiaomi. Qualcomm says that as many as 16 manufacturers are lined up to use it.
The Proof Is in the Testing
Every new processor comes with grand claims about performance improvements. Early benchmark tests in a reference device reported by PhoneArena suggest that the 8+ could indeed deliver on its promises.
But tests on the 7 Gen 1 reported on the Chinese blog MyDrivers say that it might only be a small update over its previous model, and may fall behind MediaTek's equivalent Dimensity chip. But regardless of what benchmarks say, processor performance can only truly be judged through real-world use.
Processor Competition Is Hotting Up
The competition in mobile processors is becoming stronger than ever. Qualcomm continues to lead the market but is being followed closely by MediaTek, as well as the likes of Samsung and Google, who make their own processors for their flagship and mid-range devices.